Toy cannon.



L. Y. WILLIAMS.

TOY CANNON.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. 1915.

Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

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COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH cc.. WASHINGTON. D. c

' L. Y. WILLIAMS.

TOY CANNON.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. 1915.

1,160,230. PatentedNov. 16,1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Wiiweooao a WW I I Smiley I LACEY Y. WILLIAMS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

TOY CANNON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

Application filed February 3, 1915. Serial No. 5,905.

Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Cannon, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention, first, is the production of a cannon which can be used by children without the possibility of injury, and with this end in View a light, hollow, yielding projectile is provided made of celluloid or other suitable material so the energy of impact will be reduced to a minimum.

A secondary and further object is the provision of a cannon made of a minimum number of parts, such as trailers, barrel, operating devices, and wheels, and of very strong construction so it will not easily become broken or inoperative, and to attain this end the barrel and trailers are each of a single piece of wood, the wheels made of veneer, and'the operating parts well protected.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an example of the embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode of procedure I have so far devised for the purose.

Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of the complete cannon. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. '3 is a vertical section in elevation of the barrel showing the operating devices in their relative positions. Fig. 4: is a full end view in elevation. Fig. 5 shows the plunger. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the spring forthe trigger. Fig. 7 shows the ball projectile. V

The barrel A is made of'a single piece of wood of a rectangular shape at the rear end and circular in cross section atthe front end. A slot B is made in the rear end to receive the main operating devices, a round hole G bored in the front end toreceive the projectile, a circular hole D of suitable length and of the diameter of the slot B bored in the body of the wood from the bottom of theslot, and a hole E of suitable diameter bored to connect holes C and D, as shown. The plunger F is located within the three said holes and a part thereof G of relatively large diameter loosely fits the hole I) and can move longitudinally therein. The rear end H of the plunger projects into the slot B and the front end I projects into the hole C, where the projectile is seated.

The spring projector consists of an ordinary clothes pin having one arm J cut ofi and rigidly secured within the slot to the wood of the barrel by screw K, the other weight arm L projecting far enough to bear against the end H of the plunger. The power ends M of the clothes pin project outside the barrel, wherethey can be manipulated, and the two levers are united by a fulcrum pin "N and a spring 0, as shown. The trigger P is pivoted within the slot by apin Q so the arm R will project beyond the slot, where it can be manipulated. The trigger has a notch S and a curved bearing surface T resting in frictional contact with the lower end of the weight arm'L under the energy of the spring U secured to the under surface of the barrel so its free end will engage the under surface of the trigger and hold it against arm L. The trailers V are united by a spacing brace WV through the medium of two screws X X passed through the trailers into the spacing brace.

The wheels Y, trailers and barrel are united in frictional contact by brass screws Z passed through the centers of the wheels and through the trailers into the body of the barrel. The shanks of the screws within the wheels are plain so the wheels can rotate on the screws and the friction between the barrel and the inner surfaces of the trailers is sufficient to hold the barrel in place when turned on the screws through an arc of a circle to secure the proper angle of the barrel or the range for the projectile when fired. The wheels are of veneer, preferably three layers of wood glued and nailed together with the grains of the wood angularly disposed. The outer surfaces of the wheels may be painted to represent pivoted movable feet or otherwise, as shown. The projectile shown by Figs. 1 and 7 is preferably of celluloid, and consists of a thin, strong, yielding, flexible shell of light weight so that the kinetic energy of the same when fired is very small and the impact thereof incapable of injuring any object with which it comes in contact;

To fire the cannon the operating devices are moved to the positions shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, the ball being placed within the barrel so it will rest against the end of the retracted plunger. The rotation of the trigger releases the arm L from the notch so the spring of the clothes pin can act and return the plunger to its seat, the front end of the plunger ejecting the ball from the barrel upon its forward movement to the position shown in full lines.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings it becomes obvious that I have produced a toy cannon which fulfils all the conditions set forth as the purpose of the invention. The parts are few in number and of great strength. The operating devices are protected and the projectile'so constructed that when fired it will not injure any object with which it comes in contact. I

, What I claim is:

1. A toy cannon comprised of a barrel, trailers and wheels united by screws passed through the centers of the wheels and through the trailers and the threaded ends seated in the body of the barrel; the wheels being free to turn upon the plain surfaces of the screws adjacent the heads thereof.

2. A toy cannon comprised of a barrel, trailers and wheels united by screws passed through the centers of the wheels and through the trailers and the ends seated in the barrel; the trailers being in frictional contact with the barrel so the barrel will be held by friction in difierent positions when turned through the arc of a circle.

' 3. The combination of a barrel, two trailers united by a spacing piece and having their front ends located at the opposite sides of the barrel, two wheels outside the trailers, and screws passed through the centers of the wheels through the ends of the trailers and their ends seated in the barrel.

4. The combination with a toy cannon barrel having, a hole C at one end, an open slot B at the opposite end, a hole D extending from the slot into the barrel, and a hole E of less diameter than hole D uniting holes 0 and D, of spring lever and trigger mechanism comprising a lever pivoted in the slot with the power arm projecting therefrom and the weight arm in line with the open end of hole D, aspring bearing against the weight arm of the lever, and a spring actuated pivoted trigger having a notch 10- catecl back of the weight arm of the lever; the end of the weight arm of the lever being adapted to engage" the notch in the trigger under spring pressure and to be released therefrom and strike a plunger projecting from said hole D into the slot B. r

5. The combination with, a toy cannon barrel having a hole C at one end, an open slot B at the opposite end, a hole D eXtend- 1 arm lie in line with the hole D and plunger,

and a trigger pivoted back'of the said weight arm of the lever and provided witha notch and a curved surface adjacent said notch; the end of the weight arm of the le- Ver being adapted to engage the notch and be released therefromand strike the end of the plunger. I

6. The combination with a toy cannon barrel having a hole therethrough, a slot at its rear end and a loose reciprocating plunger located within the hole through the bar rel, of a spring actuated lever pivoted within the slot with its fulcrum at one side of the hole through the barrel so the weight arm of the lever will overlap and lie in line with the said hole and the plunger and its power arm project from said slot, and'a spring actuated trigger having a notch pivoted in the slot back of the weight arm'of the lever, and said trigger provided with' an arm extended outside the slot for moving the trigger, whereby when the lever engaging the notch in the trigger under spring pres sure is released it will strike the end of the plunger.

7. The combination with a toy cannon barrel having a passage ,therethrough and a slotted rear end, of a trigger pivoted within the slot and provided with a notch,"and' a double lever spring actuated clothes pin secured in a vertical position within the slot by one of the weight arms thereof, the other 100 weight arm being longer thanthe first mentioned weight arm' and adapted to engagev the notch in the trigger and to be released therefrom by the pulling of the trigger.

Intestimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LAGEY Y. WILLIAMS. lVitnesses FRED. F SMITH, A. K. WVYLIE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). Q, 

